As I write this, it is the Sunday after Christmas. Today the minister invited the children to gather around him and tell the congregation what some of the presents were which they received for Christmas.

Without hesitation, a little girl, about three years old, announced in a loud voice, "I got a Bible." It just so happened that she had it with her. The minister noted this and, seeing it was a children's Bible with pictures in it, invited her to show it to everyone. She stood up, waved it in front of us and, beaming from ear to ear said proudly, "It's even got the baby Jesus in it."

Jesus in her Bible! What a wonderful discovery! What a delight to hear!

Has conversation about Jesus Christ been somewhat absent from the United Church of Canada? Do we talk about our mission as the "mission of God" rather than the "mission of Christ?" Has Jesus Christ become the "J" word, an unmentionable in our witness to the world?

Toronto Conference invited my group of retirees to share a spiritual gift with those about to be ordained in order to be of help to them as they conducted their ministries. We were given one minute! There was a variety of wise counsel, but I had a different gift in mind.

"The spiritual gift I would like to give to you, the ordinands, is Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the existence of the Church. Without him there is no reason for the church to continue.

"As the Scriptures state: 'For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.' (I Corinthians 3:11)

"Bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. Invite them to enter the security of his love. Call them to grow in him and produce the fruits of his character in their lives and in the world. If you do this, you will succeed in your ministry."

A bit later I received news that at least one of the ordinands had taken this message to heart and had changed his whole outlook.

Dropping Jesus Christ from the centre of the church either by neglect or on purpose, by misunderstanding or by cowardice is not a new phenomenon. At the dawn of the Christian church, St. John saw a mighty vision of the end times. It is recorded in the book of Revelation. In it the Spirit of Christ is heard evaluating the spiritual health of seven contemporary churches. One of those was the church at Laodicea. The assessment of that church? It was lukewarm. What was Christ's counsel to it? To repent. How to do that? Re-establish its relationship with Jesus Christ at the core of its heart and soul in answer to his gracious invitation:

"Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door I will come in to you and eat with you and you with me" (Revelation 3:20).

Jesus often used little children as the example of faith he valued. Could it be that what so delighted this little girl is a signal to us?

Perhaps we will discover that searching people who come into our places of worship looking for solace, direction, purpose, meaning and salvation will be delighted as we open our Bibles to hear the Good News, "Jesus Christ is here," and share with us his presence and his mission.